Player for sound-producing devices.



D. W. BARTON. PLAYER FOR SOUND PRODUCING DEVICES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2|- 1913.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916. Fla. 1

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WIT/VEJU'fJI 7 9 7' Taxman;

DANIEL W. BARTON,

OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR T0 WAR-BEN G. MAXCY, OF

OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

PLAYER FOR SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1 1, 1916.

Application filed April 21, 1913. Serial No. 762,452.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL TV. BARTON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented nev and useful Improvements in Players for Sound-Producing Devices, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in players for sound producing devices more particularly adapted for playing drums, triangles, tom-toms, storm effect and other like instruments.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide a player which is adapted to be controlled and actuated by the feet of the operator playing another instrument.

A further object of the invention is to provide a player in which a number of different musical instruments are played by electric solenoids remotely controlled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a player in which the solenoids controlling the hammers are yieldingly connected to the hammers to permit the hammers to rebound away from the portion of the instrument struck.

A further object of the invention is to provide a player in which the controlling buttons are so constructed as to be placed adjacent to the pedals of a piano to permit the actuation of both the pedals and the controlling buttons.

Vith the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the improved player and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawing in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the improved player showing a number of different instruments which are controlled from a single footboard; Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the actuating solenoids, portions being in section, also including a fragment of a musical instrument; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the foot board.

Referring to the drawing the numeral 5 indicates a casing which is adapted to contain a number of different musical instruments, 6 the foot board which may be remotely positioned from the casing and 7 the push-button switches carried by the footboard. Within the casing is mounted a bass drum and cymbal 8, a snare drum 9, a triangle 10, a tom-tom 11, an auto horn 12 and astorm effect 18 which are all controlled from the foot board 6. The snare drum and the storm effect are actuated by ordinary vibrating magnets 14C and 15 and the auto horn is self-contained, that is to .7

say, the diaphragm vibrating means of the horn forms part of the horn itself. The bass drum and cymbal, the triangle and the tomtom require timed beats and are, therefore, played by solenoids 16 of novel construction to accomplish this result and which will now be described.

The solenoid spool 17 is inclosed within an iron casing 17 and this casing is fastened atits rear end to the upstanding arm 18 of the angular bracket 19 and the lower end of the hammer 20 is pivotally connected to the upper end of the said upstanding arm 18 by a pin 21. The angular bracket 19 is reinforced by a web 22 and a vertically eX- tending lever tube 23 pivoted at its lower end to the web is pivotally connected at its upper end to the hammer 20 by a horizontally extending link 2%. The pivotal con nection of the link with the hammer is at a point a slight distance above the pivot pin to provide a greater movement of the upper end of the hammer than the lever 23 and provision is made for adjusting the swing of the hammer by means of a plurality of pivot pin holes 25 into any one of which the pivot pin 26 may be inserted. The reciprocal core 27 of the solenoid spool 17 passes through an opening in the casing and has a rod 28 pivoted to its outer end which projects through a transverse opening 29 of the lever 23 and is provided with a nut 30 threaded on its outer end. A coiled spring 81 surrounding the core and interposed between the lever 23 and the casing 17 serves to normally hold the core in its outer position and a stop post 32 forming part of the angular bracket is provided with an adjustable stop screw 33 which limits the outward movement of said core. The outer end of the core is spaced from the vertically extending lever 23 to permit a further movement of the said lever and the hammer than is permitted to the core. his further movement, which is caused by the momentum of the moving parts, permits the hammer to strike the musical instrument and re bound out of contact with the said instruable pads 34, 35 and 36 are provided for the lever 23 and the screw 33 to silence the noise of the striking parts of the solenoid mechanism.

The foot-board 6 is in the form of an elongated baseboard 37 having a series of switch-cases 39 mounted thereon, the tops of which form raised plunger supports and are inclined downwardly toward the front end of the base boards, and a recessed portion .40 to accommodate the pedals 41 of a piano to permit the operator to conveniently control the playing of both instruments with the feet.

Each push button switch 7 mounted within the switch cases is mounted on a piece of fiber 42 and comprises two contact plates 43 and 44 which are connected at their outer ends to the fiber and overlap each other and are spaced laterally apart at their inner ends. A push-button or plunger 45 projecting through an opening in the switch case rests on top of the contact plate 43 and is resiliently held projected therefrom, and by pressing downwardly on this button the said plate will be pressed into contact with the plate 44 and form an electrical connection therebetween. Circuit wires 46 lead from the switch to the solenoid of the particular musical instrument which it controls and the return wire 47 common to all of the switches includes a battery 48 in the circuit so that by closing one or more of the switches the current will actuate the solenoid or solenoids as the case may be and play the instrument. Similar circuit wires extendfrom the magnets 14 and 15 to some of the switches and the magnets are controlled in the same manner as the solenoids.

In order to play the cymbal at the same time as the bass drum the hammer of the drum solenoid is provided with a supplementary hammer forming part of and mov ing with the said hammer.

The musical instruments are inclosed within the box or casing 5 and in order to permit the sound to pass freely out of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the box the side portions are formed of inclined spaced slats 49. The top and bottom corner portions of the box are provided with projecting corner plates 50 to permit the boxes to be banked one upon another.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the player is of simple construction and may be so positioned as to permit an operator playing another instrument to play the automatic player at the same time.

hat I claim as my invention is:

1. A sound producing instrument, embodying an object to be struck, a hammer, and means for supporting and operating said hammer, said means comprising a frame, a solenoid spool mounted thereon, a reciprocal core for the spool, a hammer arm pivoted to the frame, a lever pivoted to the frame and having a linked connection with the hammer arm, a rod pivoted to the core and extending through the lever to permit an independent movement of said lever, a spring interposed between the spool and lever, and means for energizing the solenoid.

2. A sound producing instrument, embodying an object to be struck, a hammer, and means for su porting and operating said hammer, said means comprising a frame having an upstanding arm and a stop post, a solenoid casing attached at one end to the upstanding arm and having an opening in its opposite end, a solenoid spool within the casing, a reciprocal core within the spool and extending through the opening in the casing, a hammer arm pivoted at its lower end to the upstanding arm, a lever pivoted at its lower end to the frame, a link pivotally connecting the upper end of the lever to the hammer arm, a rod connected to the outer end of the core and extending through the lever to move the lever with the core and to permit a movement of the lever independentlyof the core, a yielding member interposed between the lever and the solenoid casing, and means for energizing the solenoid.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL WV. BARTON.

Witnesses:

RALPH L. HARTLEY, W. B. HARTLEY.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

